Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be
by fictiongurl
Summary: Hermione is turned into half werewolf, half vampire, and it's all Ron's fault. A few years after the war, her thoughts are of revenge, but she also finds someone who understands her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** These things are pointless. If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't need to post my stories on the net; I would just publish them as a book and make millions!

A/N: Okay, okay. I know I said I wouldn't post another Harry Potter fanfic, but the idea just came to ma and I had to write it down fast and see what you guys thought of it. So please review! I really want to know if you like this one. So here goes nothing…

**Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be **

Chapter 1

Hermione and Ron burst through the door to the next level in the vast labyrinth that Voldemort was hiding in. Harry was quick to follow. It had been a struggle, but they made it.

"One more level, mate," Ron said. "He's the next one."

"Yeah," replied Harry. "He's next."

They looked around the deserted room. This was supposed to be a challenge? Where were the knives trying to behead them? Where were the trolls trying to squish them? This wasn't much of a challenge. Was this a rest stop?

"Well I for one don't see what's so bad about this room. The other one's had something trying to kill us by now."

"Oh shut up, Ron," Hermione interjected. "Something's not right about this room."

"I have to agree with Hermione on this one," stated Harry. "There's something off about all this…"

Suddenly a low growl sounded from behind them. The three eighteen year-olds spun around and came face to face with werewolves and vampires. The group of beasts was huge. This would prove to be difficult. There was a stand-off for a few seconds before the lead werewolf charged. Wands out, the three teens were ready.

Spells and curses were thrown everywhere. They managed to kill or stun most of their adversaries before the door to the other side opened.

"Harry! The door's open! Come on!" Ron shouted over the din.

They advanced toward the door when another wave of vampires and werewolves joined the original group and attacked. Hermione turned around and started attacking, making sure to keep herself between the advancing hoard and Harry.

"Harry go!" she cried.

"But Hermione," Harry started.

"GO HARRY! You have to go!"

Ron pushed Harry through the door, and then went through himself.

"Stay! Help Hermione!" Harry demanded.

"She's a big girl, Harry," Ron replied. "She can take care of herself. Besides, I have the feeling you're gonna need some help."

Harry looked skeptical, but went on. If anyone could hold off an entire army of evil it was Hermione. She was smart and very strong. Harry had complete confidence in her abilities.

Ron was about to close the door when Hermione turned around and saw him.

"Ron?" she asked quietly, her expression confused.

He started to close the door even more.

"Ron!" Panic.

The door was almost closed all the way.

"RON!" Realization and horror.

He closed the door completely, and all they could hear were her frantic knocks to get in followed by her blood-curdling screams.

"Hermione!" Harry cried.

"Now Potter," said a chilling voice. "There's no need to worry about the mudblood anymore."

Harry and Ron finally walked out of the chamber badly injured, but successful. They looked around the room where they had last seen Hermione. Bodies littered the floor. The room was an absolute mess. Eventually they spotted a familiar head of bushy, brown hair.

"Hermione!" they both cried.

Harry knelt down and cradled her in his arms. Her body was riddled with bites and scratches, and her neck had been bitten repeatedly. Both Harry and Ron began crying at the sight of their friend's bloodied corpse.

"At least she didn't go down without a fight," said Ron, noticing the broken wand still clutched in her lifeless hand.

"Yeah," said a melancholy Harry. "Just like the Hermione I loved."

Ron out his hand on Harry's shoulder, crying silently.

After the funeral a few days later, Harry and Ron stayed at her grave. Harry placed a dozen white roses in the holder on her tombstone.

_Hermione Jane Granger_

_1986-2005_

_Damn she was smart_

_Rest in Peace_

"I miss you," Harry whispered, then walked off. The reality of her death finally setting in.

Ron stayed behind a while longer. Her death weighed heaviest on him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know it doesn't mean much now, or anything at all, but I thought you should know. If my head hadn't gotten so big at the thought of being a hero, then maybe you'd be here. You and Harry would be getting married in four months. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone with those monsters. Like I said, I wanted to be a hero, and the only way I thought that was possible was if I helped defeat Voldemort. But that wasn't the case, because here you are, dead, and a bigger hero than me."

He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He cried and began to walk off. The realization of what he'd done hit him like a ton of bricks.

Underneath the surface Hermione's body stirred. She opened her eyes and panic set in once she saw where she was. She clawed her way out of her coffin with unbelievable strength. When she broke the dirt and into the dreary, rainy day, her eyes landed on the retreating figure of Ron Weasley.

She glared at his back and hissed, "Ron…"

A/N: Okay. Wow. Intense opening. I hope you liked it. Please review! I'm really excited about this story, and I want to know what you think. Should I keep writing it? If you like it I'll try to have the next chapter up some time this weekend. Well. Till next time kiddies! **Dane:** "Hey monkey where are you?" **monkey:** "I'm in the closet!" **Dane:** "Holy shit you just talked!" **monkey:** "I know! I taught myself!" **Dane:** "This is really awkward." **monkey:** "I know! Let's fight!" **Dane:** "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** still don't own it, and probably never will…

A/N: Hey everybody! I'm sorry this took so long, but I've been really busy with school and work. I hope you like this chapter! Please review!

**Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be**

Chapter 2

_Three years later…_

A girl walked down the street of the newest addition to Diagon Alley. Ever since the defeat of Voldemort, people finally found it safe to expand their cities and towns without fear. Yes, things were safe now, and had been for three years; no one had tried to rise up and seek revenge for their fallen lord, as most people had expected to happen. Wizard-kind was moving on and settling down. Even the boy-who-lived was getting married to his best friend's sister, Ginny.

Life was excellent. Well, with the exception of the girl. She'd been wandering around for the past three years honing the skills of her newfound strength and agility. Now she was out for revenge; after all, it was _his_ fault she was living a shadow of her former life. She should have been happily married by now, but no. her life had been miserable, and now she intended to return the favor.

Hermione's eyes finally landed on her destination. It was the newest club to grace the streets of Diagon Alley with its presence: Club Bizarre. It wasn't brand new, but it wasn't old either. It had been there for only a few months. She'd gotten word that this was where Harry and Ron frequented.

She smirked as she walked in; they were in for a rude awakening.

Draco was sitting at a table with Harry and Ron. They had decided on a truce once the war ended. They had determined that the fighting they did during the war was pointless, seeing as Draco was helping them. It was finally time to grow up.

Harry and Ron were talking about a subject that greatly bored Draco: marriage. He didn't believe in it. Who would want to spend the rest of their life with just one woman, he had once said. No. for him, life was short and he intended on living it to the fullest.

Just then, a strange girl walked in. all eyes turned to her; no one had seen her before. Eventually the eyes all returned to who they were looking at before and the conversations resumed where they had left off. Well, all accept three pair of eyes.

"Who do you think she is?" Ron asked, intrigued by the newcomer.

"I don't know," answered Harry. "But she's gorgeous."

"You got that right," Draco joined in. "And you shouldn't be talking like that. You're getting married in a few weeks."

"So?"

"And your fiancé is in the bathroom," added Ron with a glare.

"Oh. Right. Sorry 'bout that, mate."

While they continued their conversation, Draco studied the girl. She was stunning. Her black hair fell just past her shoulders with side-swept bangs; and her figure? To die for. She wore black, leather pants and boots, a black corset, a blood-red off the shoulder top with sleeves that belled out at the hands, and a blood red, velvet choker with a fang dangling from it.

Draco decided that she was worthy of giving chase to; he got up and excused himself from the table. He thought he heard Harry mutter something about him getting all the fun. He smirked and looked for the mysterious girl.

He found her dancing in the middle of a group of men. This certainly wouldn't do. He pushed through the multitude of men and –after many angry shouts –reached his destination. He grabbed her and began grinding his hips with hers.

Hermione was shocked when someone grabbed her, but relaxed when they began dancing with her. She turned her head to get a better look at her partner.

He was wearing black jeans and boots, a dark green, button-up shirt and grey undershirt. He had the most striking eyes she had ever seen, rock hard abs and chest, and brilliant blonde hair that was up in messy spikes. He looked oddly familiar…

"I'm Draco Malfoy. And you are?" he said charmingly.

She smirked inwardly. This was too perfect. She'd heard that he and Harry had finally made amends, so he had to be here too. She wouldn't have to search the crowd after all.

She smiled flirtatiously and said, "It's not time for you to find out yet, babe; but soon. Tell me… where is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? I have a surprise for them."

Draco felt his anger rise. It was always Harry this and Harry that. No one even showed gratitude for what he did during the war; he was the one to tell them how to get through the maze to Voldemort safely.

He sighed and let his anger reside before saying, "Follow me."

He led her through the throng of dancing bodies over to the table where Harry sat. He noticed that Ginny had returned from the restroom. And here he was, bringing some girl to Harry because she had a 'surprise' for him. He could just imagine what it was. The wonder child had received so many 'surprises' from fan-girls mailing themselves to him to stockers. This was probably no different.

When he reached the table, Ginny greeted him.

"Ah, Draco," she said. "There you are. Have fun?"

"Immense fun," he said sarcastically, though she didn't seem to pick up on it –she was always slow about these kinds of things. "Harry, I come bearing gifts."

At this he stepped aside to reveal the girl they had all been talking about earlier. While Harry and Ron's eyes widened in astonishment, gaze never leaving the stranger, Ginny glared at Draco.

"How dare you," she spat. "He's about to get married in two weeks and you bring him some whore? While I'm here no less!"

Draco felt the girl tense at the word whore, and could've sworn he heard a growl. He shook the notion from his head and said, "She says that she has a surprise for Harry _and_ Ron."

"I'm sure she does," muttered Ginny.

Draco ignored her –as did the rest of the table –and brought the girl forward.

"There they are," he said bitterly. "Spill."

She just looked at them for awhile before saying, "Hello Harry."

Harry's eyes widened a little more and he looked at the girl intensely. Only one person had ever greeted him like that, and it sent shivers down his spine. But it couldn't be her. She died three years ago. This had to be some cruel joke.

While Harry studied the girl with an unreadable expression, she looked at him with an equally powerful stare. Ginny noticed this and, not being pleased, proceeded to hang all over Harry, making sure to show off the engagement ring on her finger. A look of sorrow and pain filled the stranger's face once she caught sight of it.

"You said you'd love me forever, Harry," she said forlornly.

Harry looked to be on the verge of tears once the words escaped her lips. Everyone else wasn't sure what was going on, but it looked important.

"Hermione?" Harry asked breathlessly.

There was a collective gasp around the table. Everyone studied her closely and realized that it was, indeed, Hermione. Her face was the only thing that remotely resemble their friend whom they had thought dead. Her eyes were a very pale blue, almost white. They no longer held life in them and looked empty. But they were still the expressive eyes that Hermione was known for.

Ron, Draco noticed, seemed to look even more pale than usual. Even his freckles were lighter. He looked almost… guilty. Like he'd done something wrong.

"Where have you been? What happened to you?" Harry asked anxious to hear her answers on why he had suffered these past years; but deep down he knew he might not want to know.

"It's an interesting tale that I'm sure would be of little or no interest to you now," replied Hermione, looking pointedly at Ginny.

Harry looked practically ashamed and disappointed while Ginny said, "So you weren't really dead then."

Hermione chuckled a little before answering, "Not entirely."

That caught Draco's attention instantly. He looked closely at her neck and noticed the bottom of a scar. Her couldn't see it very well because of the poor lighting and the fact that she covered it up with the choker, but he know it was there, and what it was. He had one too.

'Why wasn't I able to sense her?' he thought. 'I thought one of the perks was being able to detect my own kind.'

Hermione's statement was lost to the others, however. They just stared at her, waiting for a further explanation. Hermione waved her hand in a dismissive manor and it was forgotten.

Suddenly Hermione turned to Draco and asked, "Wanna dance?"

Draco accepted the offer and led her to the dance floor. They danced for about an hour, Harry giving Draco murderous glances the entire time.

When they were finished, the group went outside.

"So, Hermione," Ron started awkwardly. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"No," she answered curtly, glaring daggers at Ron.

"You… umm… can stay at my place if you want to," Draco offered.

Everyone looked at him, surprised. Draco never let anyone stay at his house. Ever. To be honest, Draco didn't even know why he invited her.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, smiling at him.

"Of course," he answered. "I have plenty of room."

Harry glared at both of them before an angry Ginny pulled him away while saying, "Goodnight."

Draco began walking home when he noticed Hermione wasn't following him.

"You coming?" he called.

"In a minute," she answered.

Draco shrugged and resumed his walking, a little slower this time. Hermione stayed by Ron, Ron growing nervous.

"Can I help you? Or can I go home now?" he asked, nervousness fading into annoyance.

Hermione growled loudly and threw him against the wall, pinning him with her right arm.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your eyes out and have you watch me disembowel your body right now," she said menacingly.

"My God Hermione," Ron breathed. "What happened to you?"

She showed him her fangs a little before saying, "You did."

Hermione let Ron go and began walking away. He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't find his voice anymore. As if reading his mind, Hermione turned around.

"We're not friends, Ron," she said. "So don't get comfortable around me. I just don't feel like killing anything tonight."

Ron sighed as he watched her run to catch up with Draco. This was horrible. He'd hoped that by marrying Ginny, Harry would get over Hermione. Now that she was back, it was a constant reminder of what he'd done and what both he and Harry had lost that day. He liked it better when she was dead.

A/N: Well. Another chapter finished! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review! They really motivate me to write more. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Well. Till next time kiddies! "Please keep to your right!"

the club is named after a techno cd that I have, and her outfit is like Willow's in Buffy when her evil dopalganger comes to town.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** My dog ate the paperwork that proves I own Harry Potter! I swear!

A/N: Wow. It's been a long time since I've updated, but I've been really busy. Sorry this took so long. I hope it's worth the wait though!

**Only a Shadow of What I used to Be **

Chapter 3

There was silence for a better part of the trip back to Draco's place. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was more of an awkward silence really. Draco had questions that needed answers, and vice versa. Draco decided to break the silence first.

"So… what was that all about back there?" he asked gracelessly.

"What was what all about?" she returned slyly.

"Um… you know. With Weasley."

"You heard that?"

"No. Just 'cause I ask a question doesn't mean I heard anything. I only saw you almost kick his ass, that's all. And if I happened to overhear you threaten him then so be it. Now, what was that all about?"

Hermione chuckled before saying, "How long?"

Draco was puzzled, but her had the feeling he knew what she was talking about. "How long what?" he asked.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me," she said exasperatedly. "How long have you been a vampire?"

"Since I was sixteen. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, let me tell you. Not fun. Father was having a party one night. Long story short, he got drunk and gave me to the vampires he used to keep in the dungeons when he wanted to torture people. So once again, not fun. It hurt like hell too."

There was silence on Hermione's part for a few moments. Then, "It happened to me during the last battle," she said quietly. "Harry, Ron and I made it to the last level before Voldemort himself. At first we saw nothing truly daunting, but something didn't feel right. No sooner had Ron opened his big mouth and said nothing was wrong and that we were being paranoid a huge group –and I mean huge group –of vampires and werewolves surrounded us. They charged and we fought. Next thing I know the door to the other side is open. I told Harry to go. He went in after some persuasion.

I turned to ask Ron for some help because a new wave was coming at us, but I saw him closing the door behind him. I called out for him several times, but he just closed the door. I thought he hadn't heard me at first, but I saw him look up and knew he had. I was too shocked to do anything as my enemies closed in on me. It was too late to raise my wand when the first scratches and bites came. I screamed; it was the only thing I _could_ do. The wolves were' as bad as the vampires though. Once those fangs sunk into me I knew it was over. It took me forever to die, and the final image I have as my mortal self is my best friend leaving me to my demise. That's why I'm here. I want him to pay; to suffer like I have."

Draco was stunned into silence. He couldn't believe Ron would do that. And Harry… poor Harry. What would he do if he found out that his friend had shut her out? There would surely be hell to pay. Well, her story had answered one of his questions. But he had one more question, and he just had to have the answer.

"So what are you, exactly? I mean, I know vampires can sense other vampires, but I cant get much off of you," he asked timidly.

"I thought that would be pretty clear by now. What with your highly evolved brain and all," she remarked dryly. "I'm half and half. Half vampire and half werewolf. A rare occurrence, I know."

Draco nodded his head in understanding. The information his head was processing was mind boggling. He felt almost… sorry for her. Yes, her experience was far more traumatic than his, but he could tell she didn't want pity. After all, she had gone three years without anyone to support her in her time of need. He mostly admired her for her strength.

"So why are you here now?" he queried. "It's been three years. That's a long time to hate someone and not do anything about it."

Hermione thought about it for a second, then said, "Well, for the first few months I didn't want to see them. I mean, I wanted to see Harry, but I wouldn't have been able to see Ron. He disgusted me; still does. I also didn't want to scare Harry that badly. If I had come back I would've just hidden in the shadows and watched. And I don't think I could've handled seeing Harry get over me.

Then I started getting used to my powers and whatnot. I trained myself –getting stronger –and as time passed I began blaming Ron more and more. My hatred grew and I finally made up my mind to do something about it."

"Oh," Draco said, having his questions answered.

"Now it's my turn," stated Hermione. "Why are you doing this for me? We've never really gotten along."

"I don't know really," he answered. "I guess it's because you're the only member of the 'Golden Trio' that I haven't gotten to know –never thought I'd get to know by the way. And I guess because you're the only one I can have a real conversation with without wanting to kill myself. Plus, we're more alike than the others. I feel like I can talk to you about anything. You seem to understand me."

Hermione let this soak in. he was right. They had more in common with each other (especially now) than she had ever had in common with Ron or even Harry. She also felt like she could trust him. He had an air about him that made him likeable. There had always been a potential friendship between them when he had joined the Order; they just never acted on it.

"Well, that works for me," she said.

"It'd better," he replied. "Or you're sleeping outside tonight."

She laughed, and it felt good. She hadn't laughed like that in three years. In fact, she hadn't laughed at all. Draco smiled, seemingly knowing that very fact. He beamed with pride at himself.

"So, remind me why we're walking again," Hermione stated.

"Well, for one: I thought this would be a good time to get to know my housemate, and two: I thought you could use the exercise. You're looking a little round around the middle."

Hermione gasped at him and said indignantly, "Are you calling me fat?"

"Yes. Only because it's true though. I'm a true friend."

"Ha. Ha. My side. So brilliant and witty, you are. You must have been saving that one for years, trying to find someone to use it on. And here you are: using it on a dead girl. You manly man you."

"Hey now. I'm dead too, you know."

"I do know. But thanks for the update."

"You haven't lost it. You can still run circles around me."

"Yup. I'm pretty spry for a corpse."

They shared a good laugh before Draco said, "Better be nice though. I could charm your mirrors to show you with the biggest butt ever."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at Draco and he laughed.

"Okay, five years old," he chuckled out.

Hermione let out a small laugh as Draco stopped in front of the door and pulled out his wand. After a quick 'Alohamora,' they were inside.

Ever the gentleman, Draco led Hermione to her bedroom on the second floor and opened the door.

"Thanks," Hermione said. "How kind of you. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Oh, aren't you the clever little witch. It was no problem," he retorted. "My room's just down the hall if you need anything: friend, confidant, someone to help you undress. You know. The basics."

She threw a pillow at his head and said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Draco said, walking out of the room and down the hall.

"Oh, and Draco?" Hermione called.

"Yes?" Draco asked, turning around.

"My story totally kicks your story's ass."

He grinned and continued his trek down the hall. Once inside his room he thought about all that had happened. She wasn't that bad. They should've formed this friendship sooner. If both of them would quench their pride and take the chance to change, then they would've been gravy by now. But no. The path was still a little rocky, but he was willing to smooth it out.

Then he thought about Ron and his face darkened. How could he do that to his best friend? His _best friend_. He had ruined her life _and_ Harry's. And for what? A little fame, Draco guessed. At that moment he decided to make sure Hermione had a real friend in him. Some part of her afterlife had to be enjoyable, right?

A/N: Finished! At least with this chapter anyway. I plan on posting chapter 4 soon. So look out. I'm on a roll. At least I hope so. Please review! You all know how much I love reviews, and if you don't then I'll tell you: I love reviews! So please click on that little button that says review. Well, till next time kiddies! "**Dawn: **Oh my God! You guys will never believe what happened at school today! **Buffy:** Everybody started singing and dancing? **Dawn: **I gave birth to a pterodactyl. **Anaya:** Oh my God, did it sing?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill. I don't own Harry Potter. At least not yet… hehe.

A/N: Oh my God! An update this quickly? It can't be! Hope y'all like this chapter!

**Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be**

Chapter 4

Hermione woke up the next morning, feeling comfortable for the first time in three years. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. The walls were painted a deep red color with Celtic knots painted in with silver. The trim was painted black and went rather nicely with the beige colored carpet. There was a beautiful mahogany desk and vanity on the wall across from her bed, which was a four-poster with sheer, black curtains and silk, silver sheets and a black, silk comforter with red, silk pillows. There was a nice sitting area in front of the double doors that led to the balcony. The room was exquisite.

She stretched before getting up and walking to the in-suite bathroom. The bathroom was as beautiful as the bedroom. The walls were a simple cream color, but the green marble sink, tub and shower more than made up for it. The floor was white marble and seemed to warm up the room. There was a stained glass window above the sink with the image of a rose in the center.

After taking her shower, Hermione found a warmed towel waiting for her. She smiled slightly and wrapped it around herself.

Hermione walked into the bedroom after drying off and found the closet. When she opened the door she was delighted to see that it was a walk-in. staying at Draco's was going to be wonderful.

She picked out some black, lace boy short underwear and bra, black jeans, a royal blue bodice-style shirt with silver ribbons tying up the front, all black converse with white laces, and some accessories. Once dressed, she did her make-up and went down to breakfast.

Finding the dining room was harder than she anticipated, but she finally made it. Hermione walked through the doors and noticed that Draco was already there, reading the paper. He had an adorable pout on his features and Hermione assumed that he was doing the crossword puzzle. But that wasn't the only thing that she thought looked good. He was wearing blue jeans, a brown shirt that had an iron cross on it, and his hair was left down, falling in his eyes. He had definitely changed for the better. She just hoped that his attitude was still the same as last night.

Draco looked up when Hermione cleared her throat and his breath was taken away. She looked absolutely stunning. If this was how she looked when she was wearing regular clothes then he was in trouble when she got all dressed up. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Morning," Hermione responded cheerfully. She was relieved that his attitude was the same, or this could have been incredibly awkward. "So what are you doing today?"

"Well I'm supposed to help the happy couple pick out their reception spot, but I can cancel if you don't want to be alone."

"That's okay," she said, looking a bit crestfallen. "I actually want to go with you. If that's okay, that is."

"Of course it is. But why do you want to go? I mean, Ron will be there and he isn't exactly on your favorite person list right now."

"I can ignore him easily enough. I just have to get over Harry some time; it might as well start today. He's getting married soon, and I don't want to be all blubbery over it."

Draco nodded his head, understanding why she had to come. It had to be tough to come back and find out that the man you loved was getting married.

"Well alright then," he said. "We should leave in about fifteen minutes."

"Alright."

Fifteen minutes later Draco appeared in Harry and Ginny's house. Hermione would be there shortly, and Draco need to tell Harry she was coming.

"Hey Draco," greeted Harry, walking over to him.

"Hey Harry," Draco replied. "Listen, I hope you don't mind, but I sorta invited Hermione to come along."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I didn't want her to be alone, and she has to get over you, right? You are getting married after all."

"I guess you're right."

"What do you mean 'you guess'? Of course I'm right."

"Oh Draco, you're so modest," said a sarcastic Ginny. "Everybody ready?"

"Almost," said Draco.

Just then Hermione appeared next to Draco. There was silence for a few seconds before Ginny asked, "What's she doing here?"

"It's nice to see you too, Ginny," Hermione said dryly.

"I'll explain later, Ginny," Harry scolded, never taking his eyes off of his true love. Sure he loved Ginny, but he felt a greater sense of completion when he was with Hermione.

Ginny saw the stare between the two and wrapped her arms around Harry possessively.

"Don't worry, Ginny," said Hermione, breaking her gaze from Harry. "I'm not going to steal your fiancé."

Draco had to smirk at Ginny's foolishness. Hermione was a good friend and wouldn't do that to her. The fact that she could even think that she would was insane. Plus, he could tell by the look in Harry's eyes that if Hermione wanted him, she could have him in a heartbeat.

Soon Ron walked in and said, "We all ready to go…?" trailing off when he saw Hermione. "Um," he said uncomfortably. "Maybe I should stay here. Five people is a lot to show around."

"Oh don't be ridiculous, Ronald," bit out Hermione. "Five is a perfectly good number. Plus, I'm not one for leaving people behind."

"Yeah," joined in Harry. "Come one, mate. It'll be great fun. You and I and Hermione can catch up."

"Okay," replied Ron, a bit tentatively. He hadn't missed Hermione's comment. "Sounds great."

Draco noted his hesitation as they all piled into the ministry limo that was waiting for them.

When they arrived at the place where Harry and Ginny wanted to have the reception –which was just outside of muggle London –Draco and Hermione noticed that it was the same place that Hermione had wanted her reception with Harry: the Summit House. The house was on a hill overlooking the ocean and –at night –the lights of London. If the inside was as beautiful as the outside, then this was it. They all got out and walked around the yards.

Hermione tried her hardest to suppress her anger and pain at seeing their choice of reception area. She almost lost it, but reminded herself that she was supposed to be getting over Harry. Draco saw her inner turmoil and walked over to her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I will be," Hermione said. "But right now it still hurts."

"I can't imagine how much it sucks, but I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

He was about to walk off when Hermione grabbed his hand. He looked questioningly at her.

"But for now can you just hold my hand? I need some form of support."

He smiled and said, "Sure."

He held on to her hand and led her through some doors to continue their tour. Harry had seen the display between the tow and seethed with anger. There was no way he was going to let Draco have her. She was his, and always would be.

"And over here we have the deluxe suite. This is where you two will spend your first night together," said the owner, shaking Harry out of his stupor.

"Oh it's absolutely splendid, isn't it, Harry?" asked an enthusiastic Ginny. Knowing that Hermione was with Draco, and not distracting Harry, seemed to raise he spirits.

"Yeah," said Harry, half-heartedly. "Wonderful."

Meanwhile, with Draco and Hermione, the two crossed paths with Ron. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Hermione just walked away.

"What? No threatening words before you go?" said Ron. "I know you're all talk. I bet you even faked your own death, just to get out of marrying Harry. Maybe even to make people feel sorry for you."

This stopped Hermione in her tracks. She'd shown him her temper last night, but he probably didn't take it seriously, just as he did with everything else in his life. Everything he said was a load of crap. But the comment about Harry was uncalled for. She turned around and glared at Ron.

"I'm sure you can talk tough when you're out in public, but get me alone in a room and you'll regret it. I _will_ kill you; before the wedding if you keep pushing it," she said in a monotone. "You have no idea how much this is killing me."

With that said, she walked off. Ron stayed quiet, his plan of getting her to leave London shot down. Suddenly, Draco threw him against a wall. Ron rubbed his head as Draco pushed him to the floor.

"She may be able to hold in her anger, but I won't," he said menacingly. "I know what you did to her, and it's bullshit. You have no right to treat her like that. She's been through hell and you treat like she's nothing.

"Well let me tell you, I won't take it as easily as she does. One wrong move and you're dead."

Draco walked off in search of Hermione, unaware that she was standing just outside the door. She smiled and walked away so Draco could 'find' her. She had a friend in him after all.

After Harry and Ginny had signed the papers booking them the entire house for the day of November first, the group headed home.

Once inside Ginny said, "Hermione, we're having an engagement dinner tomorrow night. I would be delighted if you would join us."

Hermione almost rolled her eyes; earlier the girl had wanted to rip off her head, but now it was back to pleasantries.

"Sure," she answered, albeit unenthusiastically.

"Great. It's at five-thirty at that new place in Diagon Alley: Pompey. It's nothing fancy, but we would like you to dress nicely casual."

"Alright," cut in Draco. "We'll be there, but we must get going now."

"G'night," called Harry and Ron

"Night," Hermione and Draco said simultaneously before they vanished.

A/N: Oh man… am I on a roll or what? Well probably not because I probably won't post the next chapter for a while because school is starting up again. Damn. Oh well. It happens, right? Right. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW! I love reviews! Till next time kiddies! **Random**: "Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** No matter how hard I keep wishing that I owned Harry Potter I don't.

A/N: Great googily moogily! Have I actually updated? I think I have. Wow, it's been a really long time since I've updated. Sorry about that. But I couldn't find a good ending to this chapter then school and work got in the way. Then I thought up ideas for other stories, but now I've finally finished this chapter and I hope it's worth the wait.

**Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be**

Chapter 5

Later the next day Hermione searched frantically for something to wear. She might not have particularly cared for Ginny at the moment, but she adored the rest of the Weasley family- with the exception of Ron.

As Draco was walking by Hermione's room a dress flew out and hit him in the head. Bewildered, he looked into the room- cautiously. His confusion soon turned into amusement once he saw Hermione sitting in a massive pile of dresses.

"What? All those dresses and you have nothing to wear tonight?" he queried.

"Damn straight," replied Hermione. She jumped up and went to Draco's side. "Take me shopping?" she asked- her best puppy dog eyes in place.

Draco tried his hardest to resist her girlish wiles, but ended up failing. With a defeated "sure" the duo was off to Diagon Alley to buy some new dresses.

Throughout the course of the afternoon Draco found himself enjoying how Hermione dragged him from one store to the next. He enjoyed her company and found himself genuinely happy. It' been a while since he'd experienced such joy, and he never thought that Hermione Granger would be the one to give it to him. He found himself thinking that he could be very happy with her, and the thought didn't scare him at all. In stores he'd heard people whisper about what a cute couple they made and Draco subconsciously wished it to be true.

After finally finding the perfect outfit the couple appartated back to Malfoy Manor. They had to get ready and Draco knew women well enough to know that they needed copious amounts of time to look perfect.

"Come on, Hermione! Time to go now!" shouted and impatient Draco. He hated being late; if one thing pissed him of it was being late. Malfoys were never late as it made them look unrespectable.

"Oh calm down already, you petulant child," Hermione's voice floated down the stairway, followed by soft footsteps. "No need to be all bitchy. I'm here."

"Finally. I was about… to…" he began ranting, but stopped once he caught sight of the raven haired beauty descending the stairs. Hermione looked gorgeous in a knee-length summer dress. It tied behind the neck and had a bright pattern. Her hair was in a simple up-do with a flower in her right ear. The ensemble was completed with a silver necklace, earrings, and a pair of sandals. She looked stunning. Draco couldn't take his eyes off her.

Growing uncomfortable under his stare Hermione asked, "Too fancy? Too casual?"

"Just right," he answered quickly.

Hermione smiled at his honesty and looked him over. "Well, don't you clean up nice," she mocked. She'd seen him in nicer clothing during his school years. He chose to wear a pair of black, pinstripe pants, a whit button up shirt –with the top buttons unbuttoned- and a black, pinstripe blazer.

"Ready?" he asked, offering her his hand.

"As I'll ever be," Hermione said, taking his outstretched hand. Soon the pair appartated to the location of the party.

Once they arrived Pompey the host took Draco and Hermione to the large banquet room. He opened the door and Draco let Hermione step in first, he followed shortly after. Once they were inside he bid them goodbye.

As soon as the pair stepped into the room a hush fell over its occupants. Most of the people stared at Hermione, but a few looked at Draco questioningly; he had said he was going to go stag. Many of the women he'd turned down had shown up and glared. If looks could kill…

"Well," Draco said tensely. "Glad this isn't awkward…"

Ginny chose that moment to walk up to the couple. "Glad you guys could make it," she said cheerily. They hugged and did all the obligatory things that friends do when they meet up. When Ginny hugged Hermione she whispered, "Let's not go telling everyone who you are just yet."

Hermione gave her best "duh" look. She was still the smartest witch of her age and to have Ginny suggest that she didn't know how to handle the situation was insulting. She was well aware of the fact that 99.9 of the people in the room thought she was dead.

Shortly after Hermione and Draco's arrival the room was filled with the sounds of pleasant conversation and laughter as everyone ate the delicious meal that had been prepared for them. Once plates were cleared people began to mingle, getting to know new faces and whatnot. It was then that Molly Weasley made her way over to Draco and Hermione.

"Draco, who's your charming friend?" she greeted. The she turned to Hermione. "Where are my manners? I'm Molly Weasley, Ginny's mother; as if you couldn't figure that out, I'm sure. I'm so glad you're here. Ginny hasn't had man close girlfriends since…"

Mrs. Weasley stopped talking and took a closer look at Hermione's face. Her eyes widened in recognition and with a muttered "Dear Lord," she collapsed. People soon gathered around the fallen woman. Arthur Weasley soon pushed his way through.

"Let me through, you dogs!" he commanded. "Give her some air."

Ginny rushed over to her mother as well. Taking a look around she noticed Draco and Hermione at the front of the crowd. She stormed over and asked, "What in the bloody hell happened? What did you do?"

Before Hermione could answer Draco cut in and said, "I don't know. She just fainted. She was talking to us and next thing we know she's on the floor."

A few minutes went by and soon Mrs. Weasley's eyes began to flutter open. She groaned and looked around. Eventually her eyes landed on Hermione and they widened again. "Hermione?" she asked quietly. "Dear, is that you?"

Hermione looked around as a collective gasp sounded throughout the room. Murmurs began making their rounds, saying that the mysterious girl _did_ have the same face. She finally settled her eyes on the Weasleys that had gathered around their mother. This was not what she wanted, nor was it what she needed at the time. A sigh shot out of her mouth before she answered the affirmative, "Yes. It's me."

Another wave of gasps was heard, but this time there were questions being shouted from every direction. Hermione was about to explain a few details when she noticed her parents making their way hurriedly through the throng. She wanted to flee, but the shock of seeing her parents again kept her rooted to the ground. She wouldn't have come to the dinner if she'd known her parents would show up. The last ting she wanted was for her parents to see what she'd become.

Hermione's mother approached her first. Hermione managed a small smile before glancing at her father. The smile slipped off her face at the stony expression her father wore. Her gaze slipped back to her mother, who was looking closely at her. Upon confirming that the woman in front of her was, indeed, her daughter her hand rose up and struck Hermione in the face. Mrs. Granger stormed out, and- with teary eyes- Hermione watched her go. Quietly, Mr. Granger's voice rang out.

"You little whore," he spat. "For three years your mother and I believed you were dead. Instead you were running around, changing your looks and finding rich wizards to bed. Why would you do this to us? Your _parents_. The last time I saw you we were putting you in the ground. Was that even you? For all we know you could have used magic to make something look like your dead body.

You're no daughter of mine. You're not to come near me or your mother again; do you hear? You're still dead to us. Burn in hell along with the magic that you love so much."

He walked out, never looking back or looking like he had the intentions to. Hermione stood still, completely taken aback by her father's words. A numb feeling spread through her body as her gaze shifted around the room until she locked eyes with one Ron Weasley. The numb feeling was replaced with pure, unadulterated rage. She saw red and bolted after him. Ron ran as fast as he could and charmed himself so Hermione would be unable to smell him.

Draco raced after Hermione hoping to reach her before she did something stupid. Once he had cleared the dining area the guests all looked bewilderedly at each other before resuming their activities, trying to forget what the had witnessed.

Draco found Hermione in the alley behind the restaurant turning over anything that Ron could hide in or behind. She let out a frustrated growl as she smelled the air, trying to sniff him out. After flipping over the last item (the dumpster) Hermione's shoulders sagged. Seconds before Draco could call out her name and bring her out of her rage a chef from the kitchen came out to see what all the noise was about. Feeling the need to kill _something_ Hermione grabbed the man and sunk her fangs into him. Draco rushed over and pulled her off of her victim moments before he would have died.

As the man's unconscious form crumpled to the floor Hermione came to her senses. With a despairingly heartbreaking expression on her face she turned to Draco.

"My God," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Look at what he's done to me."

Draco noticed her lips quivering as she looked around at the mess she'd made. Sensing her distress he pulled her into his arms, her face pressed against his chest, as the sobs bean to rack her body.

"He's taken everything from me, Draco," she wailed. " Ron's taken my parents and my love away from me; he's taken my job; he's taken my life. I never wanted this. I never asked for it. So why did it have to happen to me? Why couldn't I have just died? I have nothing to live for, if you can even call a dead person living."

"Hey now," Draco whispered consolingly into her ear. "I know it sounds cheesy but I'm here. I've been there and look at the well adjusted person I've turned out to be." This earned him a small laugh from Hermione. "Come back to my place; we'll sort this all out in the morning. Just remember: we're in this together. Got it?"

Hermione nodded into his chest and clutched tighter to his shirt. After muttering a memory charm and a replenishing charm on the cook Draco appartated both he and Hermione back to his mansion, never once letting go of the young witch.

Harry stood at the entrance of the ally and stared at the spot where he'd last seem the couple. A dark look etched itself onto his face as he remembered the way Hermione had clutched onto Draco. He'd earned her trust fast and he'd earned it implicitly. Then he remembered her words about Ron; as he cleaned up the alley Harry decided that he needed to talk to Ron as soon as possible to uncover what Hermione had meant. With one last look at the alley Harry made his way back to his engagement party.

A/N: And there you have it, chapter 5::angelic music:: So yeah. How'd you like it? Click the little magical button and tell me! Please? I'll love you forever and think about giving you a cookie! I'm working on other stories right now so the next update might take a while. But fear not! It _is_ summer and I have loads of free time. Till next time kiddies! **Tracy:** "There's a five inch crack between my legs!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: ** I still don't own them… sigh.

A/N: So here's another chapter. Sorry it's been a while, but I've been very busy with school. I have projects every class meeting so I have get those done. Now on with the story.

**Only a Shadow of What I Used to Be**

Chapter 6

Draco and Hermione appeared on the Malfoy Manor doorstep, the latter still clutching to the former. Draco opened the door and let Hermione step inside before he followed. His silent companion let him lead her to her room, which Draco was more than willing to do. Once there Draco got out something for Hermione to sleep in and gave her a gentle nudge to the bathroom to change. While Hermione got ready for bed her host turned down the bedding, hoping that she would be comfortable and sleep peacefully.

When Hermione finally emerged from the bathroom she headed straight for the bed and climbed in. Draco stayed long enough to make sure that she was alright; as he turned to leave he heard Hermione call his name softly. He turned again and faced the distraught woman.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Stay?" she said, almost pleading.

Instead of answering her directly, Draco toed off his shoes and crawled into bed next her. Humming her thanks, Hermione curled up against him and fell asleep almost immediately. Draco, however, couldn't go directly to sleep; instead he lay awake for a short while thinking about the witch in his arms and all the hardships she'd faced over the past few years. She'd had a hard enough time coping with her new self, but to top it all off with the event that had transpired earlier that evening was like getting your wand arm chopped off then getting avada kedavra'd. She needed someone in her life that would accept her for who she was, and he planned to be the one to be there. Draco fell asleep thinking of ways to show Hermione she wasn't alone.

The morning after all the chaos had erupted at Pompey Harry appartated to Ron's house determined to get to the bottom of why Hermione hated his friend. Once surrounded by the familiar interior of his best friend's flat Harry called out the owner's name. Shortly after his name had been called, Ron wandered into his living room, a mouth full of eggs and toast.

"Morrig, 'arry," greeted Ron.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said, slightly disgusted by his friend's actions. Honestly, how hard was it to swallow one's food before talking? He didn't think it was _that_ hard.

Ron seemed to pick up on his friend's disgust and swallowed before he continued. "What's up? What brings you to my humble abode so early?"

"Not much," began Harry. "Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing okay, I guess. Last night was crazy."

"Yeah... It _was_ pretty intense. Speaking of last night, I had a question to ask you."

"Sure. Ask away."

"Why was Hermione so determined to tear you limb from limb?"

Had Ron not dropped his plate – effectively drawing Harry's gaze to its resting place on the floor – then Harry would have seen the look of extreme panic on his best friend's face.

Draco rolled over to try and get the annoyingly bright sunlight out of his face. Unfortunately, once he rolled over he opened his eyes and couldn't get back to sleep. He let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hands over his face. The sound of a door opening forced Draco to remove his hands from his face and look towards the sound.

Hermione had been in the shower when she realized that she forgot her clothes in the bedroom. Deciding against waking up her host she decided to get the clothes herself. Her plan fell through when she walked in the room only to see Draco was awake. He was even more awake once he noticed the towel she had on, and nothing else.

"Morning," she greeted, her eyes wide.

"Towel," Draco returned.

"What?" queried Hermione, forgetting she was in a towel.

"Towel," Draco repeated, gesturing to the aforementioned item.

Hermione glanced down and suddenly remembered why she was trying to be so quiet; blood rushed to her face as she gracefully backed into the bathroom. Draco shook his head to clear the vision from his head; he stepped out of bed and made his way back to his room.

At the breakfast table that morning things were a little more than awkward. Each time they looked at each other their gazes quickly wandered elsewhere; neither was able to hold a gaze for longer than a few seconds without earlier events playing in their heads. Over the past few days Hermione had noticed her increased happiness every time she and Draco were together. She'd even noticed the quickened breath and heartbeat. Yes, she was developing quite the crush on the only living Malfoy. Draco had been the same way. His determination to make Hermione feel normal again had proven that. He figured it was time to do something about this growing attraction.

"So…" he began, still unsure of what to say, "how's it going?"

Hermione gave him a 'is that the best you can come up with?' look and answered, "It's going well. You?"

Draco chuckled and said, "It's going."

Hermione gave a small laugh and the two settled into another awkward silence. For a while all they could hear was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the dining room. At least it was something to make the silence seem less quiet.

"Did you want to go to Cauldron Castle with me today?" Draco finally asked. Cauldron Castle was the wizard equivalent of a muggle theme park. There were rides, shows, food, and shops. Hermione was a little shocked to say the least. Not only did it sound like a date, but it also meant going out in public. Sure, Draco was hardly known for his help in the war, but he was the wealthiest wizard around and that got him unwanted attention when he went out.

Knowing he was nervous and wanted an answer quickly Hermione managed to sputter out a 'yes' and a kind smile. She hoped that this meant as much to him as it did to her. This was a big step in getting her life back together. She was already big news in the wizarding world with her huge reappearance the night before – she'd seen it in the morning paper even though Draco tried to hide it from her – so she figured why not? The more she tried to avoid all the publicity the more it seemed to find her. Maybe putting herself out there would be a good step to gaining normalcy. They set a time to be ready by and parted way to get ready. This would prove to be a big day for both of them.

Draco stood at the bottom of the staircase (something he seemed to be doing a lot since Hermione had joined him). He hadn't planned on asking her to such a public place so soon, but she seemed to accept it so he figured he'd go along with it. He was dressed in casual clothes: some jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, and a track jacket. It was the most inconspicuous he could go without looking like a bum. Plus, Hermione should be seen with someone respectable, especially after last night.

Hermione always managed to take his breath away when she made her way down the stairs. Even in a pair of jeans, sandals, shirt, and fitted jacket she still looked stunning. He smiled as she neared and held out his hand. Hermione gladly accepted and soon the two were off.

A/N: so voila! There is chapter 6 for you. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it. And again: reviews are magic. Maybe I'll bake a giant cake or something for all those who review. I also accept anonymous review so don't be shy! Well till next time kiddies! "**Mrs. Peacock**: So what does your husband do? **Mrs. White**: Nothing. **Mrs. Peacock**: Nothing? **Mrs. White**: Well, he just lies around on his back all day. **Miss Scarlet**: Sounds like hard work to me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer****:** Even though it's been a while, I didn't get the rights for Harry Potter…

A/N: Hey all! Wow, an update? Can it be? I do believe so! Sorry for the wait but things have been CRAZY! I've been going to school full-time and I'm the quarter system so I don't get much free time anymore, what with work and school. So here's the next installment of the story!

**Chapter 7**

When the duo arrived at Cauldron Castle the staff was shocked, to say the least. There was a private apparating area at the park for high-profile guests. Since this trip was a spur-of-the-moment thing the staff had had no time to properly prepare for their appearance. Besides, Hermione had been all over the front page of the morning paper. She was all anyone could gossip about, and she shows up at the most popular wizard hang-out with the richest wizard in the world. It was worthy of jaw dropping behavior. But the staff maintained all courtesies and apologized profusely for being unprepared.

"It's fine, really," Draco insisted after being apologized to for what had to be the twentieth time. "We didn't announce that we were planning on coming here today. This is in no way your fault."

"But surely there's something we could do for you," the VIP supervisor insisted.

Draco was about to make some over-the-top request when Hermione butt-in and said, "You can let us go and enjoy the park by ourselves"

Despite being taken back by the request the supervisor agreed to the terms, ensuring that there would be an undercover security guard not too far off at all times. While the park was a safe place, the staff would not let them go off completely alone. After thanking the supervisor Draco and Hermione set off to enjoy their day.

Their first stop was the Broom of Doom. The wizard equivalent of a roller coaster, Broom of Doom used high-tech brooms that were charmed to stay on a certain course. The ride had no track so the brooms were tested and repaired frequently to ensure guest safety. It was the first of its kind and it was incredibly popular; the wait averaged out to be a little less than two hours on a slow day. It was the wait time that started to drive Draco clinically insane.

"Will you stop?" Hermione teased. "People will stare even more than they are now. This wait time is nothing. I remember one time my parents took me to Euro Disney and the lines there were even longer."

"I'm just not used to waiting in line like this," Draco confessed. "I usually have a VIP guide with me."

"You afraid someone will attack you?" Hermione asked with a fair amount of sarcasm lacing her words.

"No," he defended his pride. "I just like getting things right away."

Hermione grabbed his jacket collar, forcing Draco to look at her. Their faces were close together and her eyes were soft; Draco found this to be very intimate. He gulped.

"Relax," she said, a coy smile gracing her lips. "Enjoy being normal for once."

Her words rattled Draco to his core. Her refusal of the special treatment that he would've normally gotten made Draco realize that Hermione had taken a small step towards getting her old life back – at least as close as she could get to her old life. He smiled and agreed to be "normal"; at least for the day. He rather enjoyed being treated as someone worthy of special treatment.

Draco caught a flash out of the corner of his eye, effectively ruining the moment. As he stepped away from Hermione he noticed every eye in line was turned their way. Of course, once the couple started glancing around everyone's attention returned to where it had originally been before the intimate moment grabbed them.

"Nosey blighters," Draco mumbled. "Wouldn't have to worry about them if we had a guide."

Hermione laughed lightly as she pushed him forward slightly to move the line. "Spoiled brat," she muttered.

After riding Broom of Doom six or ten times they wandered the park looking for various things to do. The park was swarming with people out to take pleasure in the beautiful day. With the Medieval theme throughout the park the people looked horribly out of place; sandals and socks just didn't mix with the décor. It was a rather comical mix that the patrons seemed to support. Why look the part when the staff did just fine?

The day continued much like the incident on the roller coaster. There was flirting, staring, and pictures being taken of the couple. But despite the unwanted photographs and gawking crowds they had a great time. They were forming bonds that rooted deeper than they had ever been before with another person.

At the end of the day Draco and Hermione left Cauldron Castle laden with bag and bags of souvenirs and excellent memories. They stopped by a booth near the apparating area that delivered packages to a given address. Apparition was hard enough without having to worry about bags. After dropping off their bags they departed back to Malfoy Manor.

Back at the manor Draco and Hermione walked into the relatively quiet foyer. Both were reluctant to part way for the night regardless of it being well after midnight. Silently, Draco led Hermione into the sitting room and lit a fire.

The room was handsome; it had high ceilings inspired by the multi-million dollar log cabins in the United States. The walls were left with their original stone as the wallpaper, the floor was a rich cherry wood stained magnificently; there were bookshelves lining one wall with a small grouping of chairs nearby. The centerpiece of the room was the grand fireplace that now warmed them. It was relatively simple, but it had an intricate grate in front that served as its decoration. The crate was painstakingly crafted with a hunting scene done in a Celtic style. Before the fireplace was a beautiful bearskin laid out on the floor and several comfortable looking chairs surrounding the hearth.

Draco went over to a small table holding what looked to be several kinds of liquor. He picked up one bottle – scotch she assumed – and poured himself a glass. He offered one to her.

"No thanks," she declined.

"Suit yourself," he teased as he took a sip out of his expensive looking glass.

Hermione stuck out her tongue and took a seat on the fur rug in front of the fire. It was a chilly night and she was grateful for the extra warmth. Draco poured himself another glass of scotch and took a seat in the chair closest to her.

They sat there for hours just talking about whatever they could come up with. Sometime during their conversation Hermione found a glass of liquor in her hand; drinks were had, stories were shared, and time found Draco sitting on the bearskin with Hermione. They had just finished a particularly entertaining story about a time when they had seen Professor Snape completely tossed when Hermione lay down on the rug.

"I still remember him prancing around in a woman's hat singing and saying something about being Mrs. Nesbit," Hermione managed to get out through her laughter.

Draco simply stared at her. The firelight was playing off her features making her look almost ethereal. He had never been so jealous of any form of light in his entire life. Hermione smiled lightly, bit her lip and looked toward the fire. "Stop staring," she said softly. "It's rude."

Draco ducked his head and chuckled. "Maybe I like being rude," he muttered as he took another swig of his dink. As he turned his attention back to Hermione a question formed and he asked before his brain could catch up to his mouth. "What's it like when you transform during the full moon?" he blurted. He quickly closed his big mouth knowing he was in sensitive territory.

Hermione stilled before looking into Draco's eyes. She knew he was trying to be careful, but he was also very curious. She took a deep breath before starting.

"It's… interesting," she explained. "Although I don't know if interesting is the word I'm looking for, but it's all I can think of. I don't fully change due to my… special circumstances. I've never looked at myself so I don't what outward changes are happening, but my sense of smell is heightened, my night vision is a little better than it already is. My canines grow larger than my fangs and there's an overwhelming urge to go running through the night. It's a little bit of freedom; bliss, even."

Draco watched her face as she remembered her nights running through the English countryside. She looked at peace; whenever she was running she was free. No worries about wanting to kill anyone, no thoughts about her past…

"Sounds fantastic," he said breathlessly.

"It is," Hermione responded, still far away.

"But what about the violent urges other werewolves seem to experience?"

This snapped Hermione back to reality. "I don't really know… I guess it has to with the same reason I don't fully change. I just feel content, simpler. Don't get me wrong, the wolf in me hates Ron, but I'm not driven by bloodlust with the wolf."

"Well, I guess you just have to be thankful for small favors."

"I suppose so."

"Can you infect anyone?"

"With the vampire, sure. I've never tried with wolf."

"You've sired other vampires?"

"Yeah. After my first few kills I couldn't stand what I'd done, so I turned them. As time went on I began to be a little more detached, so I stopped feeding off humans. I want to keep what little humanity I have left."

"You said you'd never fed off a human."

"It's been a long time. I like to convince myself that I haven't. Clean slate and all that."

"I see. Man… I've never sired another vampire. What's it like?"

"Weird. It's weird to think that by vampire standards they're my children. They were angry at first, but they saw my reasoning. I don't know where they are now."

As she spoke of her children he heard the indifference in her voice. It gave him chills to hear her like that. He'd certainly seen the emotionally detached killer in her. It just wasn't her. He had experienced the same thing. As time went on he began to care less and less about the things happening all around him. But he wondered why he cared so much about her. By normal vampiric standards he shouldn't really be feeling anything towards her. He had no answers; probably never would. That was the thing about the magic world: things happened that couldn't be explained.

Speaking of inexplicable things, he had the strongest desire to kiss her. She looked so… delicious to him just lying there with that coy smirk on her lips… Before he knew it he was acting said urge.

He met her lips with caution, but caution was quickly thrown to the wind and abandoned for raw passion. Tongues danced a dance older than either of them in perfect harmony, hands roamed each other's topography – getting to know the other and committing it to memory. Draco's torso loomed over her form as both became lost in the moment. His fangs, now distended, grazed Hermione's bottom lip earning him a growl of appreciation.

Soon Draco removed his lips from hers and continued his assault on a path down her jaw toward her neck. Hermione made a move to remove his shirt and he separated himself long enough for the offending garment to be pulled off his head. It was when she went for the button on his jeans that Draco made an attempt to stop.

"Wait," he whispered hoarsely, placing his forehead on hers.

Hermione let her head hit the floor as she looked quizzically at Draco. "What's wrong?" she asked, equally as breathless.

"Absolutely nothing, luv," he responded. "Trust me, I would fuck you two ways from Sunday if I didn't respect you so damn much. You've been through enough and I don't want you to regret anything we do."

Hermione smiled and said, "Just when I think you're the same old ferret under that undead exterior you surprise me."

Draco laughed and kissed her forehead. They talked for a while longer before sleep claimed them.

The next morning Harry woke up, took a shower, got dressed in some jeans and a red long sleeved shirt, and went downstairs to the kitchen. He made himself some kippers and eggs, put some toast in the toaster and sat down to eat. At the table he recalled what Ron had told him the day before.

_Harry looked up from the plate Ron had dropped to see his friend glancing around nervously. It was almost as if he were looking for an emergency exit out of the situation. His behavior reminded Harry of a drug addict being asked a question and he wasn't quick enough to come up with a lie. _

"_Ron?" Harry called out cautiously. The situation called for a certain finesse._

_Ron's guilty gaze met Harry's confused one and he snapped. "I didn't mean to do it," he began. "I never thought about the aftermath; I thought she was strong enough… strong enough to handle everything on her own."_

_Harry sat back and let Ron say what he needed to say. Any interruptions would probably cause Ron to clam up. He got the feeling that he wouldn't like what was coming. _

"_I never wanted her to die. The door opened and you went through," Ron continued. "I was so used to following you and having a part in the final battles that I never saw the bigger picture… what Hermione did… that was the real thing… She saw me, you know. When we went in to face Voldemort. She turned to make sure you were in safely and she saw me on the other side of the door too… she called out to me but I ignored her; she called me a few times and I refused to listen. I could've gone back to help her, I should've gone back. But I wanted to be known for helping in the defeat of Voldemort. She tried to make a run for the door, but I closed it on her. If I'd held the door open a few seconds longer you'd marrying Hermione in a few days… not Ginny…" _

_Harry sat there for a few minutes in silence after Ron finished his confession. During his speech Ron had leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor, almost as if the weight of what he had done was too much to bear and had finally overwhelmed him. Finally Harry stood up and walked toward the fireplace; ignoring Ron's pleas to come back and talk to him Harry grabbed some floo powder and shouted his address, leaving Ron alone with his confession hanging in the air. _

Harry stared at his breakfast, his head in his hands, as his memory taunted him over and over. He wished he could stop the broken record of his mind. Ron's words plagued him and he wasn't sure there was a cure.

The kippers and eggs were soon abandoned and Harry put them the necessary containers for storage. As he put his leftovers in the fridge he noticed that Ginny had left the paper for him near the coffee maker.

As he picked up the paper he was greeted with the sight of Hermione grabbing Draco's jacket collar, her face really to his. It was too close for Harry's liking. It was intimate moment captured by some random person at Cauldron Castle that day. Harry read the headline, 'New Super-Couple Hits Cauldron Castle!'

The article went on to describe the wonderful day they had with pictures of them in cozy situations scattered about. Harry sighed as he tossed the paper back on the counter-top. His day was shaping up nicely.

A/N: Holy Crap! My longest chapter to date. Woo! So there ya have it. Chapter 7. Look at it in all its majesty! Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks to all those that have added this to their favorite stories list! Well, till next time kiddies! **Booth:** "It's Christmas Eve day! An eve in a day; it's a Christmas miracle!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer****: **Still not mine.

A/N: Good Lord! It's been awhile hasn't it? I apologize. I'll try to update again as soon as possible but by now you guys know me so it'll prolly be awhile before I update again, but here's a little something to tide you over until then! Now, on with the show!

**Only A Shadow of What I Used to Be**

**Chapter 8**

Draco was the first to wake. Light shown through the bay windows and he cursed his inability of forethought. If only he'd closed them the night before. While he might not have had a full-blown hangover, the drinks he _did_ have were still plaguing him. He attempted to roll over but soon found that he couldn't; the weight on his chest prevented him form doing so. Of course, once he discovered the source of his immobility he had no desire to budge. Hermione was still fast asleep and using him as a pillow.

He took this opportunity to examine her, determined to commit each second to memory. Since showing up at the club she'd had a lot of stress and sorrow to her days; although he was sure it was nothing compared to the years she'd spent in isolation. Yesterday had gone off without a hitch, and he felt a swell of pride at having made her smile. It was these rare moments of peace that really made it worth it.

As the minutes went by he watched over her and made sure she got the sleep she so rightfully deserved. Over a time though he realized that he should probably get up and stop watching her like a crazed stalker. As he carefully removed himself from underneath the enchanting woman a house elf appeared to announce that breakfast was ready and would be kept warm while he got ready for the day. Draco thanked the loyal creature and it vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

Finally free from Hermione's grasp Draco stretched to relieve the stiffness in his joints that only a night sleeping on the floor could cause. He knew that he's have to wake Hermione up, but was reluctant to do so. He was aware that she didn't get the best night's sleep in the time that she'd been staying with him (she would tell him otherwise, however, never one to be rude), and this was her first full night of uninterrupted sleep. But the years of having proper manners all but beaten into him forced him to make a move.

'A gracious host never lets a guest go hungry,' he recited inwardly. "Hermione," he said aloud. "Hermione, wake up. Breakfast is ready."

The woman must have been able to sleep through the apocalypse because twelve minutes later Draco was _still_ trying to wake her up. He'd jumped up and down near her head, tried shaking her, conjured up pots and pans and banged them together, he'd even gone as far as to bring in a muggle contraption that was very effective in making noise: a vuvuzela. Nothing. He sighed, having exhausted his options. He was about to plop himself down on his sofa when inspiration struck. He'd never known anyone to sleep through what he was about to do and hoped that Hermione wasn't the only one to do so. He kneeled down on the floor next to her and bent down. After only a slight hesitation he connected his lips to hers.

It took a while, but soon Hermione stirred and reciprocated the kiss. It was a glorious way to begin the day. She'd become so accustomed to waking up alone that these past couple days were an anomaly to her; this new feeling was something she could see herself getting accustomed to again very quickly. Hands began to relearn the territory they'd forgotten over night, quiet sighs and moans filled the otherwise silent room. As Draco settled himself between Hermione's thighs he'd forgotten all about breakfast and decided to focus on another meal he'd rather have.

He began trailing his lips down her neck and latched on to the spot where her shoulder and neck met. Hermione let out a growl of approval as her hands roamed his back and grasped at his hair, holding him ever closer to her writhing frame. Draco smirked as he continued to explore her body and slid his hands underneath the shirt she was wearing. As he caressed the smooth skin of her taught stomach Hermione rolled her hips against his and it was his turn to let out a groan.

Draco's vampiric fangs had extended as his arousal grew. He longed to sink them into her flesh but instead grazed them against her carotid artery (a _very_ sensitive spot on the forever-young witch, he had discovered). Hermione moaned loudly at the sensation as her body arched underneath his. This spurred him on and reignited his desire to bite her. Just as he was about to sink his fangs into her supple flesh they were interrupted by a house elf announcing once again that breakfast was ready. Draco pulled back, ready to unleash hell on the poor creature only to discover that it had already gone.

With the moment gone Draco glanced up to Hermione's face and their eyes met for the first time that morning. His eyes drank in her appearance: disheveled hair, dilated pupils, and her own fangs extended; Draco had never seen anything so alluring. Of course there was that swell of male pride at the fact that he was the cause of her unkempt appearance.

"Good morning," he murmured, smirk firmly in place.

"Yes it is," replied Hermione, still a little breathless. Her face was still flushed and her fangs were still elongated. "Of course, I could've done without the intrusion, but cest la vie."

Draco laughed deep in his chest, "I'll have to agree with you on that. But then again, no one said this was a one time deal." Hermione smiled and pulled him into another kiss, this one much less frenzied than the last. Draco let the kiss continue for a bit but kept things gentlemanly. After a short while he broke the kiss and reminded Hermione that breakfast was ready (blasted meal). Draco stood and offered his hand. Hermione pouted but accepted the unspoken offer and let Draco assist her in getting up from the floor. The pair made their way to the dining room hand in hand, pleased with this turn of events.

The dining room was a pleasant space. There was another fireplace located in the center of the wall to the right of the entrance - this fireplace was made out of a beautiful mahogany wood with intricate patterns carved into it; the walls were flat with a warm coat of cream and a mahogany chair rail with bronze sconces with a rich patina. A lighter colored wood was used for the flooring so the high dark wooded ceiling was offset and the room wouldn't feel too heavy. There was a beautiful decorative rug set on the floor where the exquisite, long dark table sat with its high-backed chairs. Light danced in through large windows framed with divine green drapes.

The duo made their way to the table, topped with an impressive traditional full English breakfast. Ever the gentleman, Draco held out Hermione's chair and offered it to her with an exaggerated bow as she sat. Once she was seated he scooted the chair back towards the table and made his way to his seat. Hermione smiled at her companion's antics. This was a side of Draco that she'd never thought possible but would like to see more of. Before she could voice her opinion her stomach growled loudly, echoing through the magnificent room. Her face flushed in embarrassment as she let out a small chuckle. Draco, on the other hand, let out a loud guffaw.

"And to think you didn't want to get up and come eat," he teased. "If not for the house elf _that_ would've definitely been a buzz kill while we were snogging like a couple of 4th years."

Hermione deftly chucked a piece of toast at him and replied, "Considering how eager you were, I don't think you would have noticed if Harry came barging in wearing a tutu singing 'I'm A Little Tea Pot.'"

Draco was still chuckling as he sat down muttering, "Touche." He began piling food on his plate, eager to finish his meal and possibly resume the morning's activities. Hermione noticed his aplomb and gave a short snicker, which was quickly replaced by a look a disgust as Draco began shoveling food into his mouth. Honestly, was it too much to ask for a little decorum?

Finally noticing his companion's look Draco swallowed his mouthful and raised a challenging eyebrow. He knew from their days at Hogwarts that a lack of table manners bothered Hermione to no end. He sent her a triumphant smirk before diving in to his food once more. Hermione rolled her eyes and ate her food properly. Eventually Draco regained his sense of decency and ate a normal, human speed. He realized that if he was to resume their former activities that it would do him no good to eat so much so fast that he just got tired after and wanted to sleep. Pleasant conversation was shared and eventually the two retired to the study once more.

Once back in the study they continued to talk. They sat for hours and as they talked the sky outside grew darker as clouds rolled in, threatening rain. A house elf appeared and lit a fire in the hearth and left the two to their colloquy. Hermione was having a wonderful time. It'd been so long since she'd spent the day just chatting with someone. She was also appreciative for the opportunity to get to know Draco more. They swapped childhood stories, remembered days of innocence long since passed, and recounted times spent at school.

Well into the early evening Hermione decided that she needed to take a bath. She'd been dropping hints (with all the subtly of a troll in a china shop) that she wanted to go out to dinner and have drinks all afternoon and wanted to look her best. Draco saw her to her room then continued off to his. He'd, of course, gotten the hints being thrown his way and knew that he wouldn't be able to deny her. The only question now was where to go. The entire wizarding world knew of the day they spent together at Cauldron Castle by now and they would be followed relentlessly. Draco had been in the tabloids even before this Hermione business, and he'd never been a fan of it then either. They just made it virtually impossible for him to go someplace. He and Hermione _could_ go to muggle London but neither of them had muggle currency and it was too late to go to Gringott's to make an exchange. Of course, there were still locations in Knockturn Alley that were pretty secluded, and since it still had an unsavory reputation he knew the press would be hesitant to follow them in. He would get the details sorted once he finished his shower.

Draco opened the door to his luxurious bedroom and stepped inside, heading straight to his closet then to the en suite bathroom. His bedroom walls were painted a deep green with ancient runes done faintly in bronze paint to create a wallpaper-like effect. The floors were a light pine with plush, white rugs spread out underneath the bed and sitting area near the french doors that led to his personal balcony. A beautiful bed was the centerpiece of the room; it was a large, dark-finished steel four-poster with and intricate headboard that displayed ancient Viking depictions of dragons and interwoven lines. His sheets were the same bronze color that adorned the walls with a rather impressive collection of white and green pillows (Draco did love his creature comforts). Across from the bed was a medium-sized fireplace made of stone with a pine mantle. In front of the fire place were two handsome brown leather chairs and a small table resting between them. His en suite mirrored that of Hermione's, the only difference being the window which was made of textured glass. Draco turned on the shower and once the water was warm enough he jumped in.

Meanwhile, Hermione was finishing what must have been the fastest shower ever in the history of the world (for a woman, that is). She'd washed quickly because she was anxious to get out of the manor and it was already approaching seven o'clock. Once the water was switched off she stepped out and wrapped one of the sumptuous towels around her frame. She stepped out of the bathroom and headed for the closet. There was an image in her mind as to what she wanted to wear so that made things infinitely easier. As she searched for her outfit she permitted her mind to wander. The past days had been eventful, to say the least. She was oddly comfortable with any attention she got as long as Draco was by her side. He understood her and did everything he could to make her feel at ease. He treated her like a princess and she found it incredibly sweet. Through her musings she registered the fact that she found exactly the dress she'd been looking for. Now that the hard part of choosing the right outfit was over, she just had to figure out how to do her hair and makeup. She pulled the dress off its hangar and proceeded over to the bed where she laid the dress down. After slipping on a pair of midnight blue, lace-up underwear Hermione slipped on her dress.

She'd gone with a royal purple short sleeved cowl necked dress with a light shine to it. It ended just below her rear end (enough to be barely decent) and was backless. The top was a little loose fitting and became form-fitting at the waist and hugged her figure the rest of the way down. She adjusted the dress to fit properly and went to look for the right shoes. As luck would have it, they were the last pair she looked at; they were ankle boots and made of black leather with a 2 1/2" heel with strappy overlays that ended in buckles made of silver and had a folded collar. She grabbed them and set them on the end of the bed along with a black, military style half jacket. Despite the relatively small heel, Hermione refused to wear them any longer than necessary. After returning to the bathroom to apply some eyeliner, eyeshadow (creating a smoky eye effect), and some lip gloss, then putting her hair up into a messy up-do, she was ready. She returned to her bed and grabbed her jacket, slipped on her heels and exited her room.

When she got downstairs she noticed that she'd actually beaten Draco to the finish line. Instead of just standing around the main hallway she ventured into the study and began to scour the mass of books that Draco had. She found a title that piqued her interest ("_Dragons: Who, How, and What_") and sat in front of the still roaring fire. As she cracked open the cover and the familiar smell of a well-loved book reached her nose Hermione gave a slight smile. This was something that never got old.

It was another fifteen minutes until Draco finally made his way downstairs. He'd noticed Hermione's door was open so he went directly towards his grand staircase. When he didn't see her milling around the main hall he looked for hints to lead him in the direction she may have gone off in. As his eyes scanned his surroundings he noticed the firelight still coming from the study and leaking into the hallway. Seeing as this would be the most likely place for his companion to be he set off in that direction. When he reached the entryway to the study he paused to take in the scene before him; Hermione was sitting comfortably in one of the lounge chairs in front of the fire, nose-deep one of his books. The light from the fire cast her in an etherial glow and he felt he could stand there and watch her for hours. Sadly, he reminded himself, he couldn't.

Draco steadily walked over to Hermione and cleared his throat. Hermione jumped slightly and turned to face her host. A slow smile spread across her face as she closed the book. Once it was closed it automatically floated back to its rightful place, a spell that came in handy when one liked to read a lot and had a full library to feed said hobby.

"You ready to get going?" Draco asked, a small smile on his face.

"Let's get going," Hermione answered eagerly.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here and finish your reading?" teased Draco.

"Well the book _is_ far better company than the person I'm about to spend my evening with," fired back Hermione.

Draco feigned hurt as he led a chuckling Hermione to the door. Before they aparated to Knockturn Alley Draco suggested that she bring her beloved book with them; he made for a pretty good chaperone (if he did say so himself). He could make sure the book remained a perfect gentleman. Hermione let out a very unladylike guffaw and hit him square in the chest.

"Stop moping, ferret. It's completely unattractive," came her teasing remark.

"So that means you must find me attractive at other times," countered the platinum-haired wizard. Hermione merely shrugged one shoulder and gave her most innocent expression. This time it was Draco who let out a roar of laughter as they finally disappeared into the night.

**A/N: **And BAM! There you have it. So... I might have lost my time line for this, but I'll try to pick it back up. I don't see this story having many more chapters anyway. I'll try to write some more. I'm feeling my muses coming back to me after a very long vacation. I might not update that soon though because I'm currently looking for work. Being poor sucks... Well, until next time kiddies! **Inigo Montoya: **"Let me 'splain... No, there is too much; let me sum up."


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